INCUMBENT:
Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (BN-PRS)
Last 05 May, 2013 Election Result:
1. Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (BN-PRS): 12,040 votes
2. Sng Chee Hua (SWP) 4,485 votes
3. Joseph Anak Jabang (PR-PKR)
Majority 7,555 Votes
SELANGAU is a small town situated by the Sibu-Bintulu Road of the Pan Borneo Highway. It is near the banks of Batang Mukah and is approximately 74km from Sibu, 84km from Mukah and 134 km from Bintulu. It is the administrative town of Selangau District. It is a truly multi-racial place where Ibans, Malays, Melanaus, Orang Ulu and Chinese live and carry on their farming, fishing and businesses peacefully and harmoniously. The name ‘Selangau’ comes from the name of a river, which is one of the tributaries of the Mukah River. In the 1960s, people started to build settlements near the main road and thus, that is where Selangau is today.
The parliamentary seat of Selangau (P.214) comprises the state seats of Tamin (N. 59) and Kakus (N. 60) which are represented by Christopher Gira Sambang (BN-PRS) and Datuk John Sikie Tayai (BN-PRS) respectively. Due to the rising population and development in and around the area, Selangau was declared a new district on March 1, 2002.
It is under Sibu Division. Selangau is poised for more development, having transformed from a mere few rows of wooden shophouses in the 1990s into what is now a vibrant and rapidly growing town. Selangau Member of Parliament, Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun has strived hard to bring about development in the area, including getting Selangau to achieve full district status.
On development in Selangau, Entulu who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said he wanted to focus on enhancing the area’s physical development, particularly for the over 800 longhouses in Selangau. Many longhouses in the area are still without basic amenities like 24-hour electricity and clean water supply. Most of the longhouses in Selangau are reachable by road, albeit abandoned logging roads. However, many of the longhouses are reachable only by boat.
In the last decades or so, the people have greatly benefited economically from various schemes and programmes initiated by the government related to oil palm, rubber, pepper and upland rice. Numerous Minor Rural Project (MRP) grants have helped the residents grow their plantations and businesses. In addition to all these, the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) project, with total investments of RM104b at end of 2017, is expected to have a positive impact on the area.
